Timo Brielman has an “Encounter with Canada”

By Ken Johnston
Editor

One of three Rainy River High School Students has returned from an “Encounter with Canada.”
Timo Brielmann, 17, was back at school last week after spending the previous week in Ottawa.
The Encounters with Canada program gives 3,000 young Canadians (ages 14-17) a chance to gain a better understanding of Canada. Students from across the country travel to Ottawa over 26 weeks every year.
They gather at the Terry Fox Canadian Youth Centre where they meet and learn about each other. The program is divided into two parts, one being focused on Canada’s major institutions and the other is organized around one of 11 sub-themes.
Brielmann’s sub-theme was Sports and Fitness. He said they participated in many workshops related to the sub-theme. “Some were on hockey, volleyball, rock climbing and trampolining. I really liked the rock climbing as I had never done that before.”
A tour of Ottawa helped to educate him and his 128 new friends from across Canada. However, Brielmann and one of his friends were in the right place at the right time when they toured the House of Commons. Brielmann being from the Thunder Bay-Rainy River Riding was visiting with Member of Parliament Ken Boshcoff as was Justina Swan, also from the riding. “We were outside parliament when Stephane Dion’s secretary called us back in for photos with him.” That thrilled Brielmann and Swan. They were the only two in their entire group to meet the Liberal Party leader.
Brielman said that he really enjoyed the experience and learned a great deal about other parts of Canada. “Many of my friends there were from the east coast.”
He said if he could do it again he would.
Two more students, Kaylee Lundgren and Danielle Abraham are going for their Encounters with Canada over the next few weeks. Lundgren, who’s sub-theme is Arts and Culture will be in Ottawa from Apr. 15-21st and Abraham, who’s sub-theme is Medicine and Health, will be there Apr. 22-28th.
Brielmann said he made many new friends through the program and hopes to stop and visit with some of them when his family travels out west this summer.